Cooler for bottled beverages



July 29, 1941. R. H.Tul l 2,250,557

' COOLER FOR BSOTTLED BEVERAGES Filed Nov. 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR wlTNx-:ssEs:

' ROBERT H. ZELL July 29, 1941. l R H, TUL'L 2,250,557

. I COOLER FOR BOTTLED BEVERAGES K 'Filed Nov. 5, 1958' 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR'- ROBERT H. TULL 3x25.. ffm

' WIINEss'Es;

Patented July 29, 1941 2,250,557 COOLER FOR BOTTLED BEVEBAGES Robert H. Tull, Springfield, Mass., assignor'to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 5, 1938, Serial No. 239,003

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a mechanical refrigv erator and more especially to a dry cooler for bottled or otherwise packaged beverages.

One object of this invention is to provide a dry cooler for packaged beverages and the like in which the 'packages are cooled progressively. Another object is to provide a simple cooler in which the packages of each type of beverage and the like may be segregated and dispensed independently of the others.

These and other objectsare effected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the on the line I-I of Fig. 2;.

' Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the cooler taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section similar to Fig. -1 but showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, the reference numeral I0 represents a rectangular, insulated cabinet comprising an outer casing II, an inner liner I2, and heat insulating material.n I3 packed between the outer casing and the inner liner. II wo spaced apart openings I4 and I5 are procooler taken 4vided in the top wall of the cabinet I0. one at each end thereof. The edges of the openings I 4 and I5 are lined with a heat insulating breaker strip I6 which is secured to'the inturned edges I1 of the outer casing II and the inner liner I2.` The openings are provided with heat insulatingclosure members I8 ofthe same general construction as the walls of the cabinet. The edges of the-closure members are likewise provided with heat insulating breaker strips I9.

upper portion of the innerliner I2 comprising the end wall 21 of the cabinet I0 and the lower edge 330i the baille 32 is bent inwardly to defiect the air` circulated by the fan 2| through the l cooling unit 25. The intermediateV portion of the baffle 32 is provided with openings 34 for the passage of air. The preferred path of the air circulated by the `fan 2|v is underneath and through the cooling unit 25,'upward1y through. the bottle storage space above the cooling unit 25. through theopenings in the baille 34, and then downwardly to the fan 2|. The direction of circulated air may be reversed, however. The' lower portion ofthe baffle 32 is joined to a second. baiile which is imperforate except `for a central opening`3| in which the fan 2| is located. 'I'he purpose of the second baille 35 is to prevent the air from circulating around the fan 2i without l passing through the cooling unit 25.

A conveyor apron 31 is located above the cooling unit 25. The apron 31 comprises a series of cylindrical rods 33, the end portions of which are cut out to forml half-round sections 39. as

.sprocket wheels 42, one set of which is located near the baille 32 and the other at the opposite side 21 of the cabinet I0. Each set of sprocket wheels 42 is securedto a shaft adapted to turnin journals 44 secured to the'wails of the A fan 2| `is located onone side and near'the bottom of the cabinet I0' and is driven through aishaft 22 by a motor 23 located on a bracket 24 on the exterior of the cabinet I0. An evaporator or cooling unit 25 is supported on brackets 23 between the fan 2| and the opposite side" 21 of the cabinet I0 and is elevated somewhat' above the door thereof. .The cooling unit 2l comprises v parallel and spaced apart metal strips 2l running parallel to the now of air from the fan 2|. These parallel strips 28 provide vertical air ducts through the cooling unit 25. -A tube 2l for conducting an evaporative refrigerant is passed back and forth through the parallel strips 2l and this t tube may be connected at its ends 3| to a com presser-condenser type refrigerant supplying machinenot shown on the drawings.

Abalenissecuredatitsupperendtothe side wall 21-of`thc cabinet is turned through a few additional revolutions.,

and thefconveyor apron cabinet I0. One end 45 of one of thepshafts 43 passes through the wallof the cabinet I0.

A means for driving the conveyor is provided on the outside of the cabinet. The driving means lcomprises a handle 41 secured to a shaft 4l .iournaled in the cabinet wall. A. pinion gear wheel 49 secured to the shaft 43 meshes with and drlves a larger gear wheel II secured to the projecting end 45 of the shaft. 43 so that when the handle 41is turned, the apron 31 is driven through a mechanical advantage. y' The operation of the refrigerator as thus far described is as follows: The bottled or otherwise 1 packaged beverages l2 to be cooled are placed on the conveyor apron 31 through the opening, I4 31 ismoved along by to make room for addi-- the bottles i2 strike the turning the handle 41 tional bottles. When These additional revolutions vcause the a 31 to slide beneath fthebottles m ilheldltattnmry by the side wall 21 of the cabinet l0 land forces the remaining bottles 52 on the: conveyor tightly against the stationary bottles 52 so that the spaces between the bottles are eliminated andA` If desired, guide bars 53 may be secured in the cabinet to keep the bottles 52 in denite rows. The guide bars are secured in the ends walls of the cabinet l and run parallel to the direction of movement of the bottles. When so equipped, the cabinet is adapted for the convenient handling of' various kinds of bottled beverages. The bottles containing the same kind of beverage are placed in the same rows. If the dispensing of one vkind of bottled beverage is more active than that .of another, the handle is turned so that the bottles less actively dispensed are held stationary by the end wall and the row of bottles more actively dispensed is advanced towards the opening I5. By this means all of the various kinds of bottled beverages contained in the cooler will be available for dispensing regardless of the difference in the rate at which they are being dis- Fig. 3 shows a modiflcation of the invention in which the belt conveyor is `replaced by an inclined-plane. The cabinet 54, in general constructiomis similar to the cabinet shown in Figs. 1 and 2,'but its upper wall is inclined downwardly to the right as viewed in Fig. 3. The cooling unit 55 is also. of similar construction as the cooling unit 25 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but is inclined downwardly in a direction parallel to the upper wall of the cabinet 54.

The fan 56 in this modication is driven by a motor 51 located within the cabinet 54. The bottles are supported above the cooling unit 55 on a foraminated metal sheet 58 bent in the general form of a U. One of the legs 59 of the U- shaped sheet 55 is spaced a short distance from the wall 5I of the cabinet and is secured to the upper portion of the liner 52. The other leg 53 l of the. foraminated sheet 58 is secured to the side wall of the liner adjacent the opening 54. The bottom of the foraminated sheet 58 is located slightly above and parallel to the cooling unit 55 and is connected with oneend thereof by means of a bracket 55. A -baiile 66 is secured around the fan 55 to insure that the air circulated by the fanv 56 passes underneath and through the cooling unit 55. The action of the cooler of this modication is similar tothe action of the cooler shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Guide bars may also be provided in this cooler to segregate the bottles containing the same beverages.

It will thus be apparent that this invention provides a dry bottle cooler in which the bottles .are cooled progressively and also provides a cooler of simpleA construction for progressively cooling and dispensing a plurality of bottled beverages.

While I have shown my invention in several forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, butis susceptible of various other changes and modiiications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is: 1. In a dry cooler for packaged beverages and the like, the `combination of an insulated cabinet having side, top, and bottom walls, a substantially flat' cooling unit in said cabinet and near, but spaced from the bottom thereof, said cooling unit having air passages, an air baille near one end of said cooling unit, a motor-driven fan near said baille for blowing the air in said cabinet underneath said cooling unit and along and through the air passages thereof, the air passing generally upward and through said cabinet and around said baille to return to said fan, and means for conveying packaged beverages and the like over said cooling unit from the baille to the end of the cooling unit opposite said baille, and openings in a wall of said cabinet for placing ksaid packages on the end of said conveying means near the baille and for removing said packages from the other end of said conveying means.

the other edges of said cooling unit extending substantially to the other side walls respectively, an air baille extending upwardly from said rstnamed edge, foraminated means for supporting packaged beverages and the like above said cooling unit, said means having provisions for moving said packages from said baille towards the opposing side wall of said chamber, a door in the top of said chamber for inserting packages to rest on said supporting means near said baiile, a second door for removing packages from the side of the chamber opposite said baille, and a motor-driven fan for circulating the air in said chamber around said baille, underneath and through said cooling unit, through the support- -ing means, and across the bottles which may be resting on said supporting means.

3. In a dry cooler for packaged beverages and the like, the combination of an insulated cabinet having side, top, and bottom walls, a substantially at cooling unit in said cabinet and near, but spaced from the bottom thereof, said cooling unit having air passages, an air baille near one end of said cooling unit, a. motor-driven fan near said baiiie for blowing the air in said cabinet under- `packages on the end of said conveyor near the baille and for removing said packages from the other end of said conveyor.

4. In a dry cooler for packaged beverages and the like, the combination of an insulated cabinet, an opening in said cabinet, a closure for said opening, a cooling unit in saidv cabinet, a substantially stationary inclined surface in said cabinet for supporting packaged beverages and the like and permitting said packages to slide progressively over said surface and through said cabinet, and a fan for circulating the air in said chamber over said cooling unit and over the packages on said inclined surface.

, 5. In a dry cooler for packaged beverages and the like, the combination of an insulatedcabinet, said cabinet having an access opening, a

closure for said opening, a cooling unit for saidY cabinet, a fan for circulating chill .d air from said cooling unit through the interior of said cabinet, va belt in said cabinet for supporting said packages and progressively conveying thesame through the cabinet towards said opening, means whereby said belt may be driven, said belt being of a size to support a plurality of said packages in rows in the direction of both the length and the width of the belt, said belt also having a substantially flatupper surface adapting said belt to slide underneath said packages when the same are forcefully retained, and means associated `with said cabinet for forcefully retaining said packages adjacentthe access opening, whereby on driving said belt, the packages in said cabinet are brought towards said access opening and, on continued driving of said belt after some of the packages are retained adjacent said opening, the remaining packages inv the cabinet are moved towards the retained packages 'to ll in the voids which may exist between the retained and the movable packages, said packages being free to move sidewardly on said belt to ll inthe voids lying slightly to one side of their natural direction of travel.

6. In a dry cooler for packaged beverages and the like, the combination of an insulated cabinet, said cabinet having an access opening, a closure for said opening,` a cooling unit for said cabinet, a fan for circulating chilled air from said cooling unit through the interior of said through the cabinet toward said opening, means whereby said belt may be driven, said belt being of a size to support a plurality of said packages in rows in the direction of both the length Aand the width of said belt, said belt having also an upper surface adapting said belt to slide underi neath said packages when the same are forcefully retained, means associated with said cabinet for forcefully retaining said packages adjacent the access opening, an'd spacing devices between adjacent rows parallel to the direction of movement of said belt, whereby on driving said belt, l

the packages in said cabinet are brought toward said access opening and, on continuing driving of said belt after some of the packages .arejretained adjacent said opening, the remaining ypackages in the cabinet are moved towards the retained packages each in its proper row to flll in the voids which may exist between the movable and the retained packages.

7. In a dry cooler for packaged beverages and the like, the combination'of an insulated cabinet, said cabinet having an access opening, a closure for said openinga cooling unit for-said cabinet, a fan for circulating chilled air from` said cooling unit through the interior of -said cabinet, a smooth,'inclined platform in said cabinet for supporting said packages and tending to move them towards said access opening, means associated with said cabinet for retaining said packages adjacent said access openingV and against downward movement along said platform, whereby the downward movement of said packages tends to fill inthe voids at the lower portion of said platform, said packages .being free to slide both downwardly and transverselyon said platform.

ROBERT H. TULL.

cabinet, a belt -in said cabinet for supporting said packages and progressively conveying the same 

